This is the independent stand-alone web site of "Reception of the Arts," InArt3 (GA), a Penn State general education course. The course is dedicated to an exploration of any and all works of art from the point of view of RECEPTION — how audiences of all cultures and historical periods get and keep the art they love. For the idea in a miniature visit the "nutshell" description. To learn how to use this web site to best advantage, use the web guide.
All official course members use ANGEL, the Penn State on-line interface that manages assignments, resources, and records. To learn about ANGEL, go to your PSU PORTAL, an individual web page assigned to every student enrolled at Penn State. This web site will still be accessible to everyone without the ANGEL support interface.
The textbook, "The Art 3 Idea" is available from Penn State Book Stores and through "MBS Direct," the mail-order service used by World Campus. There is a new 2006 edition. The ISBN number is 0-9704254-5-7. The text is also available at amazon.com. The textbook is nicely indexed, thanks to the labors of Elizabeth Gibson, an artist and former assistant and alumna of the course.
what's involved?
ASSIGNMENTS vary depending on where you are. If you're taking InArt003 from University Park, you have two discussion assignments plus on-line quizzes and exams. Members with travel obligations can apply for a 'road option' to substitute essays for the quizzes and exams. World Campus students can take on-line exams or write a four-part 'LINK ESSAY'. Commonwealth Campus members generally follow the pattern of the World Campus members.
The first discussion session calls for one main posting — a paragraph or two on how an 'art3 idea' relates to some aspect of contemporary life — and weekly (for three weeks) comments on other members' posts. This is worth 25% of the final grade.
The second discussion assignment goes to the movies to see how art3 ideas can make or break a film. This requires a 250-350 word essay about a film you've recently seen. It's not a re-telling of the film's story but a behind-the-scenes analysis of how the film works. This is worth 20% of the final grade.
On-line quizzes and exams, essays, or a combination. Assignments vary depending on where you are. University Park members have two discussion assignments plus on-line quizzes and exams. Members with travel obligations can apply for a 'road option' to substitute essays for the quizzes and exams. World Campus students can take on-line exams or write a four-part 'LINK ESSAY'. Commonwealth Campus members generally follow the pattern of the World Campus members.
getting startedTo get a quick idea of the course, visit the mini-site, or take a look at the more detailed FAQ page. Some materials refer to different options based on whether you're taking the course at University Park, a Commonwealth Campus, or from World Campus (Penn State On-Line). University Park members take on-line quizzes and exams. University Park members with heavy travel obligations can get permission to use the "road option." Commonwealth Campus members and World Campus members do a single LINK ESSAY, but can substitute two on-line exams for this essay.
using this web site
This independent web site contains basic information that, in combination with the textbook and e-mail messages from the instructor, will supplement your study and give you a stand-alone resource to use alongside ANGEL. The index on the left of the site identifies the main pages about assignments, schedules, and policies. The "moon" has some links hidden in the "months" that are a short-cut to the "art 3 ideas." The painting of the bottles (by Philip Link, an artist in North Carolina) identifies some general resources that will help you increase your mastery of the course's ideas.
the art3 idea
This course is unlike any other, because it was put together from the thoughts, findings, and viewpoints of several different disciplines. Its author has worked in architecture, geography, philosophy, psychology and art education. The ART 3 IDEA is a completely new and original approach to art. The borrowings from various fields are, however, solidly grounded on established research in those areas. It's a "response-based" approach to art that uses analogy and a comparative method. It's a "third way" that's unique and, hopefully, productive. The first two ways to study art are (1) making art and (2) art history. They're more efficient than the ART3IDEA because they focus on the objects of art, but they frequently underestimate the other half of the equation — the audience. ART3IDEA focuses on how audiences interact with works of art. While the objects of art are notoriously varied and virtually impossible to classify, audiences are very similar in their desires, experiences, and foibles. The ART3IDEA describes art like a sports announcer at a football match. We can call plays and generalize about the rules that connect audiences to artworks. The point of the ART3IDEA is to make critical discourse accessible to about anyone who takes the time to consider the new angle.
basic termsThese are the most prominent components of the ART3IDEA, and studying their short definitions is a way of keeping track of the ideas of the course as you move through the text chapter by chapter. Basically, each chapter is the same idea, re-written from a different angle.
The ART3IDEA is intentionally designed to be a gimmick that uses your curiosity about art as a "laboratory" for reflection and learning. You can find out a lot about culture, human nature, even the sciences by studying art, but you need a gimmick. The ART3IDEA is that gimmick. It's a way of noticing and remembering what's important about how art works. Art has a lot in common with almost everything in the human world, but we have to look at it structurally to see the commonalties.
is the course for you?Why are you taking the course? Your answer is likely to predict most of the problems or pleasures you have in the coming session. This is a course about critical thinking. Most of the ideas will be unfamiliar, and all students experience at least some discomfort assimilating them. But, there is a reward. You'll be able to: (1) understand the role of context, (2) think using analogies, and (3) see the pitfalls and potentialities of human communication. The course contains much difficult material. designed to present you with challenges that you must overcome using a "thinking strategy." This trick, best described as "condensation," is a valuable tool in many situations.
If you're taking the course just because you need the credits, you're very likely to find it frustrating. The first difficulties will put you off, you'll easily get behind, and the sense of being 'dis-included' will grow. You'll end up dislking the materials and blaming your shortcomings on the course itself.
In short, it's better to give some attention to attitude.
who's teaching the course?The course is directed by its inventor, Donald Kunze, Professor of Architecture and Integrative Arts at Penn State University, where he has taught since 1984. He has a professional degree in architecture and his MA and Ph.D. were in cultural geography. He writes and lectures on architecture, criticism, and reception theory. He is in the process of expanding the idea of ART3IDEA to meet the international demands of distance-education and general arts residence education. InArt3 was one of Penn State's first on-line courses and has reached more than 7,000 students.
The advantage of an on-line course is that the instructor is available at times when other professors are at home, in meetings, or on trips. Because of the growing abundance of internet opportunities, such as wireless cafés, most questions get answered in 24 hours, many in less than 12. It's also a way to use corresondence to open up conversation so that the course can be personalized. Use e-mail to stay in touch, use the web site to get essential information, and use your free time to read, think, and experience art first hand.
Copyright © 2007 by Donald Kunze.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.